Director Michael Dowse, following George Roy Hill's classic "Slap Shot," delves into the world of minor league hockey to find a boatload of misfits, neurotics, bullies, freaks and, in one case, a truly nice guy -- albeit one who's only on the team to fight.

That would be Doug Glatt, a small-town nobody who rises to local fame when he knocks out a player who comes into the stands to fight fans. Glatt can't play hockey, or even skate. But his hammer-like fists get him hired as a goon -- someone sent onto the ice to distribute justice or take out the other team's star. His effectiveness in the role leads to promotion to a higher minor league team, romance with a not-so-nice girl, and a showdown with a legendary goon he has always admired.

Selling all of this is a game and well-tuned cast. Seann William Scott, of all people, plays the polite, doofy, rage-prone Glatt. Jay Baruchel, who co-wrote the script, is his foul-mouthed buddy. Marc-André Grondin convinces as a one-time hot prospect who's fallen into debauchery. And Liev Schreiber is terrifically dry as the old goon watching a young guy rise to his title. Combined, they give a human heart to this deeply vulgar -- and deeply funny -- film.